An Arlington man fired a pistol through the front door of a day care center in Springfield, Virginia, striking two employees and sending them to the hospital, according to Fairfax County police.
The suspect, 41-year-old Julio Pascual Sejas, of Arlington County, who police said fled the scene and was on the run for several hours, was arrested later Wednesday evening.
The shooting happened around 2 p.m. on Bauer Drive near Burling Wood Drive, at the West Springfield KinderCare. More than 70 children were inside when the shots were fired, according to police.
Fairfax County Police Deputy Chief Brooke Wright said Sejas approached the front door of the day care in an attempt to speak with a woman who works there and with whom he had a romantic relationship. She didn’t let him in, police said, and he pulled out a gun and shot through the front door, striking her and another woman who worked there, Wright said.
No children were injured and, after the shooting, they were moved to another facility and reunited with their parents.
“It doesn’t appear that any of the kids have any indication that anything even happened here today. They were jovial,” Wright said.
“We’re relieved that no children were harmed today, and we want parents to know that we’re going to be protecting children as best we can. We need everybody to do their part,” she added.
The two women who were shot have “non-life threatening injuries,” according to the Fairfax County Police Department.
Below is a map of where the shooting happened:
WTOP’s Thomas Robertson contributed to this report.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
